KUCHING: When he was a child, he was bullied, mocked and pelted with stones.
This led to Johor's P. Moganarrajan deciding to take up taekwondo at the age of 12 to defend himself.
It also led to Moganarrajan winning the men's under-54 kilogramme taekwondo gold at the Malaysia Games (Sukma) yesterday.
In the final at Stadium Perpaduan, Moganarrajan, 20, defeated Negri Sembilan's Ahmad Muhaimin Al Hafiiz. The bronze medals went to Brunei's Abrar Haji Bakar and Perlis' Emmanuel Choy-Wan Tan.
Moganarrajan said he first got involved in the sport when his late father, L. Perumal, signed him up for taekwondo classes after he was often bullied in school.
"My advice to bullies is to stop... because you are 'creating' someone who will become greater in the future," he said.
Moganarrajan said although he won a gold on his Sukma debut, he felt sad that his father did not have the chance to witness his achievement.
"My father passed away last February. He had asked me to win a gold medal for him. I've done it now, but he isn't here to see it," he lamented.